A New Beginning
by Ariana Gryffindor
Summary: Made by Ariana, Edited by Gryfferin Princess :D Credits to her! Draco suddenly feels different about Hermione Granger, he finds out that he loves her. Read this to find out what he does about it and if they will ever be together.


**A/n: This one shot story is a combination of the imaginative brains of Gryferrin Princess and Ariana Gryffindor. The story was made by Ariana and the amazing editing was done by Gryff. Hope you guys like it! A result of an unbreakable friendship. Oh and by the way, this is in Draco's POV.**

It's amazing how one could feel when you realize something. Especially when you realize the one person you ought to hate was the one person you end up loving. I should know, I'm saying this from experience. It's a weird yet wonderful feeling. Even the pain is something you would look back to, looking at it as form of saying, 'Hey, I learned.'

Cause that's exactly what I did.

It was a cold, winter's day in the month of December. I was sitting under the tree in the Transfiguration courtyard with the two oafs of a friend, Crabbe and Goyle while I munched on an apple. I saw as she took a seat in the middle of the courtyard, her movement lithe, she had the grace of a ballerina. She sat quite a distance away from me, but I could still see, the sun glared down on her beautiful heart shaped face, making it seem like she was glowing.

I don't know what happened to me. But suddenly, my breathing became shallow and the world seemed to stop turning on its axis. She turned her head in my direction and, I felt the corners of my mouth turn up but, the realization hit me like a dozen bricks when her eyes narrowed down to slits. We were enemies. She turned her head back to her work and I turned my head back to my apple.

It was there that I had the most astounding revelation. I looked at her again and it felt like a new beginning had started, I was in love…a feeling that I once thought a Malfoy was incapable of until that very moment. But she changed that all, she melted my exterior and she didn't even know it. She, a certain Hermione Granger.

Yes, yes, I know what you're all thinking, why would I fancy a girl I've been insulting for years? It's just a jolt of feeling, like when adrenaline pumps into one's veins. A mix of love, guilt, and hatred, a tad bit of hatred, a whole lot of love cause it feels like the hatred was never there anyways. I was blind enough not to see what was in front of me!

I entered the common room and sat on the armchair closest to the fireplace for the longest time. And during that period I thought to myself, _'What have I done? I pushed away the only woman I ever cared for, possibly love. And I only realized it now!?'_

Behind the biting remarks, the icy glares, there was something deeper and meaningful rather than hatred and discrimination. That brought a smile on my face but that didn't change the fact that she was right all along.

I am a prat.

The next few days were spent staring at her, wondering and mesmerized by her beauty. Everything about her drew me in. Her voice, her laughter, her eyes, her personality, her wit…the list goes on! Now and then she would catch me staring at her, she would glare at me in return and give me a look of anger. I don't know why she didn't like people staring at her; I like people staring at me… but enough about that.

After one class she asked me if I could have a word. I, _accidentally_ said yes in an all too eager manner, for my heart started palpitating like crazy. I didn't realize she had taken me to a dark corridor, like where one would take another to have a good snog. I smirked at that thought.

"Oh wipe that smirk off your face Malfoy!" She snapped. "I know what you're thinking and that's certainly not what I brought you here for."

"Oh yeah? And how do you know what I think, Granger?" I whispered in her ear. And it made me smirk to feel her shiver underneath me.

"That's not why I brought you here." She repeated in a shaky voice.

"Then why, Granger? Why did you bring me here?" I whispered, almost seductively.

"I—"

"You?" I knew her spine was tingling; my breath was hot on her neck, despite the cold air that was threatening to freeze our sorry arses. Happy bloody holidays.

This was fun and all, I, amused by the effect I had on her. But her question made my whole body tense up.

"These past few days…I---why were you staring at me? It was either you were that or you were staring blankly into space."

_Damn._ I've been caught, red handed.

"Why do _you_ want to know Granger?" I said.

"Err, no particular reason, I just---"

"Back off then!"

Her face then contorted into anger by my outburst. She set herself to the side; I could tell she was furious. I left and was totally, confused, by my outburst as well. I guess, it's true what they say. Old habits, do die hard.

It was almost time for the Christmas Feast and I planned to make my move after it. She usually goes out last. The whole time I was eating, I was thinking of how to ask her, it might be too tacky or it might be too over-the-top. But, after a few minutes of deep thinking and deliberating if I really should do this, I was ready.

I leaned back against the wall outside the Great Hall as I waited for all the students to go back to their common room. The corridor was almost empty when I finally saw her emerge from those doors, grateful that I didn't have Potty and Weasel to deal with, seeing as they weren't by her side. I saw her about to turn the other way when I called her attention. I did it in the quietest voice that I could do to avoid any eavesdropping and so, I went for it.

"Granger..." I drawled, slowly backing her against the wall until I was pressed up against her, she was flushed against me. I gazed deeply into her eyes and finally, whispered to her ear huskily, "be mine."

Time seemed to have frozen after that, neither of us saying a word and I waiting with baited breath. Finally, she spoke to me but, not in the way I would've expected. "Is this some kind of pathetic joke, Malfoy?" she practically shouted as she roughly pushed me away. I staggered a bit but quickly composed myself once again. _'Merlin she's strong' _I mused.

I stood in shock and in fear as she stood there, trembling. The pain evident in her voice. She seemed tired and weary and I too, felt that way. This was difficult on both sides of the table. Why could she just not believe me?

"Just _leave_. Leave _me_ alone."

She almost pleaded to me. Then, without another word, from me or from her, she left.

After she left me, I decided to go back to the common room. While I was walking I was practically shaking with anger. But more out of sadness. I've never felt this before, rejection. But this pain… the pain I felt was excruciating, unbearable. It felt like my heart has been stabbed 'til it could beat no more. Why couldn't I have her?

But I guess there's one more saying that deems true to me now, It's in the human nature, to want something that we aren't allowed to have.

A few weeks later, you could say I felt better and was slowly recovering. I didn't tell anyone about what happened on Christmas day, and I hope she didn't too. But there was still a sting that I felt, and therefore, ignored and didn't mind. I guess you could say too, that I was used to it.

But then again, how does one get used to pain?

Every time she walked past me I could hear her words, ringing in my head. She always gave me a look that told me that she doesn't want to be with me. It was about time that I had to forget her. I tried my best but it just wouldn't leave.

One Saturday morning I was sitting alone in the Three Broomsticks, drinking a bottle of Butterbeer. Suddenly she sat down beside me. I gave her a slightly confused look since I didn't know why she was here in the first place. She ordered a bottle of Butterbeer as well, but we just sat there in an awkward yet comfortable silence.

Finally, we stood up when we noticed that we already finished our Butterbeer and silently, went outside the bar.

And here we are, in the middle of the street and I waiting for whatever she had to say to me, just when I thought I was recovering. She took a deep breath before she began.

"Malfoy, I was thinking, over the past few days…" she started while looking down, suddenly finding interest in her shoes. She took another deep breath and continued, "It occurred to me that, it really wasn't fair of me to have, stormed off like what I did without letting you explain..." She paused for a while, taking a deep breath for the third time.

Her head was bowed this time, "So, I was thinking that maybe we could," she murmured the last part that I almost couldn't hear her. But I heard her perfectly yet, I still wanted to endure this a little longer. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that?" I smiled.

She looked up at me, her voice with more conviction this time as she said, "That maybe we could start all over." She looked at me her eyes looking at me expecting for an answer. "Sure" I said.

And for the first time, she smiled. Only this time, it was directed at me. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, pleasure to meet you." she said. She stretched out her hand hoping for a handshake. I took her hand and said, "Draco Malfoy" as I gave it a lingering kiss, "Pleasure indeed."

I righted myself again, standing to my full height, our hands still holding. I leaned down and I kissed her, to my surprise she kissed me back. And my hands found their way into her waist as hers were found in my hair. As we were kissing, I felt something wet drop across my cheek, expecting it to be rain. How very cliché it is, to have a first kiss with your love under the rain. But, to my surprise (again), it was snow! A first kiss with your love under the snow, now that's much better.

After we kissed she gave me a smile that told me that she loved me even before I had asked her. We spent that day with our heads thrown back in laughter. We had a Christmas toast that night…

"To a happy ending." She said, raising her goblet full of Butterbeer up (seems we weren't allowed to drink wine nor Firewhiskey).

"No," I told her. "To a new beginning."

She smiled at me as I too, smiled at her…and I believe that a kiss was in order, after that.


End file.
